HAPPY NEW YEAR

2008 has come....


2008 has gone....


2009 is here.....


Happy New Year....


Well, that's the best poem I can write... Happy New Year.

Until next year,
Chip

TOUGH STUFF

Monday, December 29, will always be Black Monday to me. I have been fortunate enough to spend 21 years of my 44 years on this Earth, working for the same company. In that 21 year period, I have never had to sit in front of a team member with the sad news that I had to deliver today.

Like so many companies, the economy continues to eat away at bottom line profits. And with the current cash and credit crunch, the economic situation looks even bleaker. Ours is no difference. Raising funds for non profits is probably not the career choice during tough economic times.

I manage a staff of nine team members. All of them are solid employees. All handle there jobs under, what at times, is a tremendous amount of stress. The stress to meet the deadline, ensure the information or data is accurate, in the correct format and all the other expectations of work.

Well today I met with all nine team members to give them the news. For the first time in my career I had to lay off and dissolve four positions. Necessary, but never easy, especially for the recipient.

Over the last few days I pondered the situations of each team member. I thought of myself and my family and how it would impact us if I lost my position tomorrow. Just walked in and was told my services were no longer needed. Some of you may have wrestled this bear at some time in your life. Me, I've been lucky that I have never, to date, lost my job.

What will happen to those on the block? One is the only bread winner in the home. How will that family survive? Two are single. What will happen with there finances? The other is a mother and wife. Probably the one in the best overall position as she has two incomes, but still, the devastation it could possibly bring.

When I think of my own situation, I count myself as blessed. The Good Lord has watched over me and my family for all of these years and has blessed us beyond belief. I also realized today that all of that could change in the blink of an eye. I could be the one on the block tomorrow. And, if I ever am, I am sure the devastation would almost be unbearable.

My prayers are with these individuals and I ask that you include them in yours. You don't know them, but He does. May we never know this pain. That is some tough stuff.

Until next time,
Chip

THE COMING OF THE KING

Luke 2:

1. In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3. And everyone went to his own town to register.

4. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15. When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18. and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.


Praise His name.

Until next time,
Merry Christmas,
Chip

THE FAMOUS DANCING MILLERS

You are going to LOVE this.....

Until next time,
Merry Christmas,
Chip

A TRIP TO: HAIR CLUB FOR MEN

Here it is, finally. Chapter four in the A TRIP TO series... Enjoy..

About ten years I actually took a serious look at joining Hair Club for Men. I continued to see the ad's on TV, in the magazines and even heard it on the radio. At that time I had enough hair that no one would have really noticed the difference. So, off I went to visit Hair Club. Before then, the closet Hair Club was located in Memphis. But that year, they opened there first location ever in Little Rock.

The trip was actually a pleasant visit. Kind of like going to a two hour Time Share presentation. Yeah, you get the point. It was just tremendously less stressful. Lets be realistic about it. The product is easily going to sell itself. You don't go to Hair Club without being ready to buy, or right on the verge of being ready. I have to believe that there close ratio is extremely high. The only reason I can imagine a guy walks out without making a purchase is pricing, which isn't the cheapest around. So after about an hour of watching a video, reading some Hair Club material and talking with a rep, I was sold. Here I was, 34, knowing I was going bald and not in the mood to look like dad right now, so I was a slug when it came to closing the deal. It was easy, in fact I think I signed the paper before they ever even tried to close the sale.

The cost, well that was a little crazy. See you have to join Hair Club. I guess that's why they call it a club hey... Oh well, the joining fee back then was around $1,700 and once you sign the deal, you are stuck with losing at least 50% of that, no matter what. But that did include all of the upfront work, getting my name on the Hair Club role and my first head of fakey hair...

But I must admit, at the time, it was money well spent to me. Of course there is always the inevitable things that you don't think about when you are desperate for hair. Important things like how long does a set of hair last (I thought forever - dumby me), and how much does the next set of hair cost me and what about the hair I currently have on top of my head, what do we do with it? Well, three hours later and none of this had entered my mind. All I could think about was that wonderful new set of hair. Man, I couldn't wait. But wait, well I had to. You see they had to measure my head and determine the exact size to fit me. Yep, little ole me was getting a custom job.

Weeks past, well maybe a couple of weeks past, and finally the day came to get my new head of hair. So off to Hair Club I went again. But this time, it was for the product. The end result of $1,700 in hard earned cash. Hair, that I could swim with, touch, feel, grab, comb anyway I wanted and make it as long as I chose or as short as I desired. Hair that I could continue to comb straight back, yep, straight back, even back then, or I could let just flop all over the place.

In the front door, up to the desk. Show them my membership card. Oh man, how much excitement can a guy take in one day? Hair....glorious hair...here I come. Asked if I would like a cup of coffee or a coke. Seated in a private room. Preparing myself for my brand new look. I was so excited I was about to jump out of my skin. Finally, the hair expert walked into the room, "Mr Miller" she said. "Yes", I said. "We are ready for you." So, like a five year old in a candy store with twenty bucks to blow, off I go, into another private room where they were about to unveil my new mop. The Mozart of hair pieces. "Sit here please", she said. So, I did. I sat there. Right there in that fancy looking barber seat. After about two or three minutes of idol chit chat, that I had no interest in, they finally did it. They brought in the hair. Oh man, here it came. The thing I had waited on for fifteen years. The solution to my physical defect.... HAIR...

You see at Hair Club, they take the time to ensure you get the best possible service and of course the best possible hair and that look that you truly want. This is no pick off the shelf hair piece place. Nope, this is a top of the line, you cant tell its fake, hair piece. Or at least I thought so...

So, what was next. Well, lets try it on for size Mr Miller. "Okay" I said excitedly... Then boom, on goes the hair.... and a big lump comes into my throat. Oh my gosh, I am about to see myself with a head FULL of hair for the first time in ten years. The excitement built. I couldn't wait for the hair specialist to move out from in front of me so I could see what it looked like in the mirror.

Finally, she moved..... Oh my gosh, what the heck is this. Hey, this isn't what I ordered. Someone get over here and check this out. Houston, I think we have a problem.

You see somehow, somewhere along the line, my hair order had a major mishap.... yep, the hair I ordered, well this wasn't it. After about five minutes of discussion, it was determined that Hair Club needed a redo... a BIG FAT redo. Something was horribly wrong, and it was quite obvious.



Okay, so it really wasn't that bad, but it was BAD. Bad enough that they willingly agreed to create a new piece. One that maybe fit and actually looked like my hair. So once again, here we go. Wait another two weeks until the big day.

Finally, back to Hair Club, but this time it was different. You see over the previous two week period... I made a decision, a decision to.......


To CANCEL my membership. Okay, so I burnt $850.00, but I got $850.00 back and my sanity, or some of my sanity. I still had the problem of no hair. What now? Was this really what I wanted to do? Why wait so long? Especially after I had gotten all the way back into that private fitting room, and this time, the hair piece that they brought out... oh WOW!!! It really looked like hair and to beat all of that, it looked like my hair. Oh man...I was torn like a 18 year old between his mom and that can't live without young lady. But finally, I came to my senses and yep... I cancelled the contract.

Hair Club really is a great place to get a set of hair. Heck, I wouldn't mind having some Hair Club right now, but hey $1,700 up front and then another $200.00 a month every month for the rest of my life. Ummm..... I don't think so. So I made the only decision that seemed sensible.....

Next time you see me, ask me about that experience. You never know what might come up...

Until next time,
Merry Christmas,
Chip

BECOME A BORED FRIEND

Hello friends. I know there are a couple of you, okay maybe a couple of you out there that, for what reason I don't know, actually follow along with my gabble I call THE DAILY DOSE. For that I want to thank you and beg you not to stop.

I would also like to invite you to become a BORED FRIEND of the DOSE. Its really simple to do, just scroll down the blog until you find the BORED FRIENDS section in the sidebar on the left. Click the FOLLOW THIS BLOG section and allow your picture to be shown in the BORED FRIENDS column. Come on, I desperately need something to spruce up this page and your picture is exactly what this page needs to become a true work of art.... or something like that.

BORED FRIENDS (1)FOLLOW THIS BLOG

1 Follower

Until next time,
Merry Christmas,
Chip

YOU'VE GOT TO LOVE IT...

As many of you may know, I am a LOVER of the cold. Most people, properly so, think I am a nut or some pshyco for loving cold weather, but come on, there are some great things about Winter.

I mean, don't you love it when it snows and it is so white and pristine and clean looking? Winter is also great for larger people like me... we can always put on more clothes but it would truly be offensive to A LOT of people if I started removing more clothing... I'm not too big, but big enough to know better. And, you don't have to worry about sweating when it is cold. That is unless you live with a human Popsicle who keeps the thermostat on 90. But if that is true then you probably have bigger problems as the majority of your discussion may revolve around that thermostat.

Christmas is also in the winter. Christ came to Earth to set the example of how to live our life and to save us from our sins, and He came in the winter. That alone should make you love the cold.

Okay and what about snow skiing. You can't do that in the summer and you don't have to worry about learning how to swim either. I've never heard of anyone drowning to death while snow skiing.

Then the table fare... this is the only time of the year that eating is truly legal and man we prove it during the holidays. Come on now, from about November to January, we all become eaters, at least the ones I hang around typically enjoy eating. No, I'm not saying my friends are fat. Most are a lot skinnier then I am.. I'm just saying we are less worried about what we are going to look like in a swim suit or a pair of shorts or that shirt that is cut too high.

And oh man the fires. I love going to mom and dad's and hanging out by the fireplace. Drinking hot chocolate and watching QVC. Yeah, QVC! Hey what's wrong with that?

The reality of it is we probably wouldn't truly appreciate the Spring, Summer and Fall as much if it wasn't for Winter. I just don't know how folks live in Arizona, Southern Cali or Florida, or why they would even want too. Don't get me wrong, I'm not appealing to you to raise enough funds to legally move me to North Dakota, I don't want snow 16 months out of the year, but a foot or so every now and then... well I can live with that.

Until next time,
Merry Christmas,
Chip

A TRIP TO: SEE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Every Christmas the family takes a night or two to take a trip to see the Christmas lights. And every Christmas we always see what I would consider the EXTREME of outdoor light shows. Although some are pretty cool. The following video is a short clip of just three extreme light shows right here in Conway. Hope you enjoy...

Merry Christmas,

Until next time,
Chip

PEDRO AND ROSITA...

From Pedro and Rosita... A special little message just for you here at Christmas time. Hope you enjoy. Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS...

Until next time,
Chip

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS - THE MEMORIES OF A LIFETIME

Too many times I forget the simple things in life. The joy of a stroll through the park. The simplicity of a snowball fight. The pleasure of a simple kiss or a hug. The power of a conversation with mom or dad. That few precious moments a day I get with Janet.

One thing I have learned is to try and cherish each moment God gives me on this Earth. I'm still not very good at it, but over the last few years I have learned to become much more aware of those things around me in my life. I know one day mom and dad wont be here anymore. Christopher will leave the nest and go on to pursue his own life and raise his own family. So while there is time I better try and enjoy those simple pleasures known as life. Those are the memories that Janet and I will cherish when we sit on the front porch and reflect. What I accomplished with my work will be a long forgotten memory and probably one of little importance. Those days of High School, my first marriage, the promotions or awards I have somehow accumulated will all be dust gatherers. But the memories built with my friends, my family and especially my Heavenly Father will be those things I will forever cherish. Those presents that will year in and year out always be unwrapped at Christmas.

During this season, I pray that we all remember why He sent us and what our true purpose is in this life. May we never forget what He has done for us and may your Christmas be blessed with the memories of a lifetime.

Until next time,
Merry Christmas,
Chip

A SEASON OF JOY

Hello friends. May this Christmas season be filled with joy, may all your wishes come true and may your days be filled with His presence.

Merry Christmas.

Until next time,
Chip

GOD'S MIRACLE'S

Miracles come in all sorts of packages. It can be the look in your child's eye when they open that special gift at Christmas or that unexpected check just when you needed it or maybe even something as small as an encouraging word at one of your low points. Either way, God always seems to know exactly where, when and how to intercede in our lives. Many times it is hard for us to understand why we go through or see others go through some of the toils and troubles of life. And sometimes it causes us to possibly lose a little faith for a period of time in our lives. I've heard several stories about how devoted followers of Christ totally turned there back on Him because of a tragedy, or what they thought was a tragedy, that occurred in there lives. I've also heard about how many of them, when it was over with said and done, saw God's plan unveil through there pain and understood the positive impact that there tragedy created in the lives of so many around them.

I was once told of a story about a missionary couple who was led by God to go and witness to a tribe in a foreign land. I believe it was Africa but I'm not totally sure. Anyway, the tribe continually rejected there teaching of Christ, to the point where they were not allowed in the village. But the couple, both very young in age, continued to feel God leading them to stay, even though months or even longer had gone by with absolutely no success at all in even being able to talk with the tribe.

One day, the wife got sick. Her illness continued to worsen day by day. But God continued to lead the couple to stay. Finally the husband told the wife it was time to leave as she desperately needed medical attention, but the wife continued to hold on as she felt God was not yet through with them at the village.

Several days later, a little boy came to see the woman. They had some conversation for a while and he left and went back to the village, without the husbands knowledge. Later that day, the wife passed away from her illness.

The husband, distraught over the loss of his wife, turned his back totally on God, to the point of never wanting to hear His name again. He turned to a completely different lifestyle filled with heavy drinking. A life that almost killed him until one day he met a man, a black man. Where he met him, I don't recall, but after some conversation the man realized that this old man was the missionary who lost his wife at his village. For the first time in many years, he had the opportunity to sit and talk with the husband about the most important woman in his life.

You see the little boy that came to see the dying missionary lady, turned out to be the leader of the largest church on the African continent. The day he came to see the lady, he turned his life over to the Lord. Throughout the following years, he was responsible for the conversion of over 500,000 people.

In the end, the husband turned his life back to Christ, fully understanding the impact of his personal loss and how God had used that couple to lead hundreds of thousands to Him.

For all of us, we have been at a place in our life where we struggle with God's response. Sometimes it seems to be a positive response. Other times, we feel isolated or unwanted. Sometimes it takes years for us to see why God did what He did, or sometimes we may never see the fruits of our loss. But God always has a purpose.

Over the last week, I have seen three personal miracles occur in my life. Not directly related to me but miracles alone that were truly the hand of God.

On November 25th, Conner James Hogan was sent into this world to Daniel and Kristin Hogan. Conner didn't have a peachy start to life, in fact for the first four or five days he spent all of his time in the nursery hooked up to one machine after another, totally dependent on oxygen. When he was born, his lungs were full of fluid, creating a major breathing problem. Doctors quickly placed him on antibiotics and began the process of trying to drain his lungs. Prayers showered Conner James and five days later he was sent home with mom and dad totally recovered.

Later that same week, Cameron, one of the children my wife babysits, was diagnosed with a heart that was five times its normal size and beating four times its normal pace. The parents and doctor desperately tried to get Cameron into Children's Hospital but was told there was no room and a cardiologist would not be able to see him for at least two weeks. Desperation set in and once again Cameron was showered with prayer. God again turned his ear to the prayers. The parents took Cameron to the emergency room at Children's and after some additional x-rays and testing, the Doctor realized that the heart was not in fact enlarged, but a gland in front of the heart had made it appear that it was enlarged and that the heart was actually beating at normal pace. Once again God intervened.

There are countless stories, both with what we might consider to be a good or a bad ending. One that might have changed our life either positively or created that empty hole inside. Either way, it is comforting and reassuring to know that in the end, no matter the outcome, He has everything under control.

Enjoy the slide show of Conner James Hogan and may your days be blessed with His presence.



Until next time,
Chip